Four dead in plane crash at Oakland County International Airport

When Waterford business owner Tony Lucero noticed a line of emergency vehicles racing along on Airport Road just after lunch Friday, he stepped outside to see what had happened.

“I looked and saw an airplane on the ground and the wings looked disjointed,” said Lucero, who runs Eagle Graphics, directly across from Oakland County International Airport’s east border.

“I thought it was something minor.”

What Lucero saw was a rented Cessna 172 private, single-engine plane that had crashed at 1:40 p.m. in a field at the airport’s north end. The crash killed four people, three men and one woman. Two of the victims are reported to be from Fraser.

The woman, who was in the backseat of the plane, was airlifted from the scene and pronounced dead at a Pontiac hospital. The three men died on impact.

After the crash, the plane was surrounded by emergency vehicles, their lights flashing.

“Our prayers are with the families,” said Dave VanderVeen, Oakland County director of central services, at a media gathering Friday afternoon outside the airport’s terminal. “This is a very sad moment. It’s been a long time since there was a (fatal) crash at the airport.”

The last fatality at the airport — Michigan’s second busiest after Detroit Metro — was in 2006, he said. 128,766 flights were logged at the airport last year.

Two pilots who asked not to be named contacted The Oakland Press, saying they were concerned about the fact four people were onboard.

“You can only put 600 pounds in this plane if it’s fully loaded with fuel,” said one. “It could have been overloaded.”

Another pilot said, “typically a Cessna 172 can only take four adults if less than full fuel is carried.”

Officials added that the Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office would receive the bodies and families would be notified.

Reports indicated the plane left the airport’s 5,000-foot runway and rose 100 feet into the air. The pilot reported trouble and turned around, crashing in a field.

The plane did catch fire, authorities said, and the crash is under investigation.

An investigation has begun by the Federal Aviation Administration, with the National Transportation Safety Board taking the lead.

VanderVeen did not speculate what may have occurred during the flight. The airport was closed after the crash. He estimated a final report from the safety board would take six months.

Over at his business, Lucero said he saw rescue personnel respond to the crash in seconds. Waterford Regional Fire, Police, Oakland County airport crash rescue and Star Ambulance personnel rushed to the scene.

“I didn’t see any smoke,” said Lucero, referring to the crash.

He was shocked and saddened to hear of the deaths. He observed that he’d seen many pilots negotiate the runways in stormy weather. Friday afternoon’s weather was sunny and humid, with temperatures in the 80s.